Most of my childhood, we didn’t celebrate a traditional Thanksgiving meal. The holiday weekend was one in which we enjoyed hanging out together as a family, watched movies and enjoy the Twilight Zone marathon all day together in our pajamas. It wasn’t until we were teenagers that my Mom started cooking up a storm of some of the quintessential Thanksgiving type food — turkey, mashed potatoes and other family treasured dishes.
Sad for me, I’ve never had cranberry sauce before. In my younger adult life, I’d see it served in dishes that sat on dinner tables. It was cranberry sauce from a can and it never quite appealed to me because it still looked like the mold of the can it came from and kind of cold jelly-like. This year I decided to see what this traditional condiment and sauce was all about for myself by making my own homemade Classic Cranberry Sauce.
Why did it take me so long to discover Cranberry Sauce?
It turned out so good and strikingly beautiful because of the natural colors of the cranberries. With the cinnamon, ginger, cloves and sweetness of the juice and sugar…it smells like the Holidays. It’s like what Christmas potpourri smells like and all good things about the holidays melded together in this sweet sauce. I can think of all kinds of things to do with this sauce, other than just for Thanksgiving sides on top of the turkey. The interesting thing about cooking cranberries, is that they burst, when cooked, into juicy berry goodness. The color is so bright and vibrant it almost doesn’t look natural…like maybe food coloring was added to it (but it wasn’t). It was so quick and easy to put together, I don’t know why you’d serve it from a can.
I have a couple of ideas of what I’m going to do with the leftovers during these next days. This is a classic and foolproof recipe for cranberry sauce.
source Cooking Light: Cooking Through the Seasons: An Everyday Guide to Enjoying the Freshest Food
Makes 3 cups
1 1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup orange juice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
Dash of ground cloves
12 ounces fresh cranberries
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
In a medium sauce-pan; combine sugar, juice, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cranberries. Bring to a boil over medium to high heat, about 12-15 minutes or until the cranberries pop.
Remove from heat, stir in orange peel. Cool completely.
Serve chilled or at room temperature.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container.
Cristina says
I think I’ll steal your recipe and make some of this yummy-looking sauce the next time I’m baking ham!
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels says
I used to watch the Twilight Zone marathon too! 🙂
I’m so glad you discovered how good cranberry sauce can be. Yours look so delicious and absolutely beautiful. I still am so impressed with how gorgeous all of your photos are!
The Cilantropist says
I adore cranberry sauce and relish for Thanksgiving, I just can’t get enough of it! (I have a post on my site too, he he!) This looks beautiful, and I am so glad you decided to give it a try this year, hope you had a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving! 🙂
Monet says
A classic and perfect recipe. Not many people in my family like cranberry sauce, but my mom and I adore it (especially with leftovers!) Thank you for sharing your version. I hope you are having a relaxing and rejuvenating holiday weekend, my friend!
Angie's Recipes says
I like classic recipes…they are usually very good! And I can almost taste from your picture!
blackbookkitchendiaries says
i love cranberry sauce..this recipe sounds so lovely. thanks for sharing this.
Loren says
Traditionally I can take or leave cranberries, but this thanksgiving I was exposed to three really fantastic cranberry recipes, including 2 sauces and cranberry bars with white chocolate. I think this sauce and your cranberry upside down cake could be # 4 & 5. We’ll have to give them a try.
~Loren
ceecee says
This is close to the recipe I use too. It’s classic and delicious!
ceecee
Magic of Spice says
What a gorgeous photo! The Twilight Zone marathon, love it 🙂
torviewtoronto says
delicious flavourful sauce lovely colour
Mindy says
Thanks fo this! I’m doing Thanksgiving late (really late- Canadian Thanksgiving is in October) so this is right on time for me!
bunkycooks says
Only one cup of coffee…can you change the one sentence to this recipe is similar to the one I used yesterday? Thank you! XO
bunkycooks says
Homemade cranberry sauce is sooo good! It doesn’t even compare to that canned stuff that so many of us had as kids (ick!). This recipe is similar to the one I used yesterday. I am glad that you have come to the other side now!!!
Amy Bakes Everything says
I can remember my grandmother dumping the canned sauce onto a platter, and me asking, “umm…should we stir it or something?” This looks sooooo much better!
Christine @ Fresh Local and Best says
This looks like a great cranberry sauce recipe! I hope you have a great Thanksgiving weekend!
Liren says
I think my first encounter with cranberry “sauce” was that can shaped log! Oh, it’s so not the same as the real thing! I adore cranberry sauce, and yes, there are so many things you can do with it – it’s also one of those Thanksgiving dishes that I made knowing I will be the only one to eat it – neither my husband or my kids care for it. I just can’t understand why! Anyway, I’m prattling on, but here’s to a happy Thanksgiving – *however* which way we celebrate it!